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I guess I’m like most bloggers in that I’m always interested in improving my blog, e.g., see my previous post with the video of my daughter. When I finally figure out how to do something, whether by figuring it out on my own or by following someone else’s instructions, I really feel good about it. I’m way behind the times, however, because I’m just now learning how to make videos and posting them online. I really want to make this blog interesting to other insomniacs, and I’m always looking ways to improve it.
This week I’ve been working on another video. This one is of me performing in front of a camera for the first time and announcing my blog to the world by posting it on YouTube. I knew I’d be stiff and expressionless the first few takes, and I probably did 40 or 50 takes to get it to a state in which I thought it would be presentable. Well, reasonably presentable.
At the same time, I’m also learning how to use the parts of my new iMac that I don’t normally use. So my learning curve has been steep this week. It’s been such a frustrating climb that it would have been much easier to quit and watch TV.
I made my first movie using Photo Booth only to discover that YouTube wouldn’t accept it because of some technical reason that I didn’t understand. What?! You mean I have to do this again?! Something I read somewhere said to use iMovie, save it in some .adsvbasdfsf form, which I didn’t understand, and upload it again. At this point, I’d lost the battle but not the war.
After learning Photo Booth, I now had to learn iMovie–more stress. I spent about 8-10 hours this week on the second video. I’m a slow learner. But I stuck with it until I finally had it down to a science, almost. Then I had to learn how to upload it to YouTube. Fortunately, iMovie can upload straight to YouTube, so that wasn’t a problem.
Actually, uploading was pretty straight forward. But because of my ignorance of all this, I thought something had happened and the upload had stopped. So I uploaded it a second time. Wrong thing to do!
Turns out the first upload, the one that would have worked perfectly, was titled “My First Project.” Huh? How’d that happen. The second one, a duplicate of the first, was titled “Insomnia Simply Sucks | A Blog for Insomniacs by an Insomniac,” which is the title I wanted to use.
So I deleted the first one. Again, wrong thing to do!
That left me with the one I wanted. Problem is, YouTube doesn’t allow duplicates. I couldn’t believe this had happened, though I should have expected it. The only thing I could do about the situation was to delete the duplicate.
I’ll have to make another video, but not today. The only way I can view making a third one is that it’s an extension of my computer education, and I should be glad for the experience. Any other view could possibly lead to destruction of something. Actually, I’m surprised it hasn’t caused me more sleepless nights. A few years ago, this experience would have kept me awake until about 5:00 a.m.
I’ve learned a lot this week, no doubt. Because of that, I can consider the week a victory and not a defeat.
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